1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an accessory for modifying the habitat of an aquarium, comprising an air filled dome providing an area having an air environment beneath water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An owner of an aquarium frequently maintains amphibious animals, such as crustaceans, alive and on display in his or her aquarium. Such animals by nature periodically leave the water and remain on dry land. To satisfy this need, the animal may wander, and eventually escape the aquarium. Concurrently, the owner enjoys observing the animal, which observation may be obscured by water movement. Alternatively, observation of the animal on dry land may be rendered impossible for lack of a suitable dry area within the aquarium.
The closest prior art in this field has generally sought to juxtapose an aquarium and a terrarium. Examples are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,269,5578, issued to Robert B. Lewis on Aug. 30, 1966, U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,593, issued to James P. Hurlburt et al. on Sep. 25, 1990, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,463, issued to James F. Wilkins et al. on Oct. 15, 1991. Hurlburt et al. discloses an enclosed terrarium submerged within the water of an aquarium. Wilkins et al. provide a terrarium partially submerged in aquarium water, and open to and communicating with open atmosphere above the aquarium.
An aquarium comprising a dome open at the top and a peripheral base comprising an outwardly projecting flange is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 231,677, issued to Robert Erik Miller on May 21, 1974.
Inflatable domes are seen in U.S Pat. No. 3,121,975, issued to Eugene E. Duhamel on Feb. 25, 1964, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,939,607, issued to Donald Spector on Feb. 24, 1976.
An early example of a dome mounted on a radially outwardly projected flange is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 660,782, issued to Oscar Strumpell on Oct. 30, 1900. Strumpell includes a hole in the dome to facilitate filling, as with liquid. This hole is subsequently filled with a cement plug.
The prior art does not afford amphibious animals ready entry to and egress from a dry area of an aquarium, this dry are being submerged under aquarium water. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention, which provides the above mentioned advantages, as claimed.